Name: Gavin McMullen
Organisation: Grant Engineering (UK) Ltd
Job title: Trainer and assessor
Location in the UK: Swindon, Wiltshire
Your company/business in one line:
One of the UK’s leading heating specialists supplying renewable technologies, including air source heat pumps, HVO compatible oil boilers, and extensive customer support, including training, pre-sales and after-sales technical assistance.
My alarm goes off at …
“My partner and I have our alarms set for 5.40am.”
The first thing I do each day is …
“I am not generally a morning person, but after 20 minutes or so, I am ready for the day after sitting on the sofa with a coffee and the news on in the background.”
I prepare for the day ahead by …
“I try and have everything I need for the day prepared the day before so my bag will be packed, shoes polished and uniform ironed ready for the morning. I also complete all my course preparations the day before as well.”
I can’t leave the house without …
“My laptop and a flask of coffee – these are the essentials I cannot go to work without! Then, I usually get in the car and start to drive off and do the typical thing of stopping to get out of the car again to check I locked the front door.”
My typical day…
“My days vary depending on which location I am training at, which can be off-site at our centres in Hawes or Livingston or at our main training academy in Swindon, Wiltshire.
“When working at the training academy in Swindon, my typical day starts with making sure all the relevant paperwork and equipment is ready for the course I am delivering that day, with my laptop fired up and the course materials loaded onto the interactive screens we have in each of the classrooms.
“The candidates tend to arrive at around 8.30am, grab themselves a hot drink and then we aim to start training between 8.45 -9am. Each course has its own format, so my days are never the same, but generally speaking, we deliver the theory via a PowerPoint presentation, which includes plenty of opportunities for installers and engineers to ask questions before moving into one of our dedicated workshops for the practical elements of the course. At the end of the course, there is usually an assessment for candidates to complete as well.
“Whether I am delivering one of our one-day courses, such as the solar thermal product training course, or one of our longer courses, such as the OFTEC Heat Pump Installation Qualification, I always enjoy getting to know each of the candidates we welcome through the Academy doors and this makes every day different and interesting.
“At the end of each day, once all the engineers have left, I tidy up the classroom and workshop by packing everything up and then travel home to get ready for the following day.”
My most memorable work moment …
“I have had many memorable days during my five years working with Grant UK, but I think one memory that stands out is our company’s move from Devizes to Swindon. It was an incredibly hard few months as the training department had a lot of equipment and paperwork, but we all donned our scruffs and got stuck in! We had to move all our boilers and renewable products from our previous premises in Devizes and then install and commission the equipment at our new home in Swindon. The move was completed by Autumn 2022, and while it involved many hours of hard work, it has been worth it as our training facilities at the Swindon Academy today are truly fantastic.”
The worst part of my job …
“I wouldn’t say that there is a worst part of my job, but if I had to choose one thing, it would have to be some of the manual labour from the move last year! Digging out the underfloor heating system and concrete floor from the old premises was tough work!”
The best part of my job …
“I enjoy the challenging side of the job. The plumbing and heating industry is constantly changing and having to adapt to changes in legislation and consumer demand. I thoroughly enjoy learning about new products, getting my hands on exciting technologies, as well as different practices, especially discussing new ideas which come from the candidates who are out there on the tools every day.”
I relax after work by …
“I tend to pop down to my local pub midweek for a couple of beers and a game or two of darts with some of my friends.”
On my bedside table is …
“Lamp, glass of water, TV remote and, probably the most important item, my alarm.”
The last thing I do each day is …
“I am very security conscious, so I probably go around the house three or four times to make sure that everything is switched off and locked up.”
I’m normally in bed by …
“I try and be in bed by 9pm. Usually, my partner and I will watch part of a series or the film Hot Fuzz, which is a firm favourite in our household. We then usually fall asleep so I have put the TV on a timer to turn off automatically at our bedtime!”